Wildebeest

Connochaetes taurinus

An antelope that looks like a bull

Numbers

Weight: 550 lbmales up to 640 lb, females rarely over 570 lb
Length: 81 infrom head to hindquarters, excluding tail (24-39 in)
Height: 51 inat the shoulders, range 45-57 in
Lifespan: 20 years21 years in captivity; oldest known specimen lived 24.3 years
Top speed: 50 mphfleeing from a predator
Horns: 33 inmales; females 12-16 in
Estimated population: 1500000 individualsstable trend

despite its heavy build, the wildebeest can run up to fifty miles per hour when escaping from a hungry predator.
calves are born with a tawny brown coat and begin turning gray like adults at around two months of age.
male horns can reach up to thirty-three inches in length, while female horns usually stay between twelve and sixteen inches.
in the Serengeti, up to two hundred and seventy territorial males can gather in a single square kilometer during peak mating season.
the global population of the wildebeest is estimated at one and a half million individuals, with a stable overall trend.
a newborn calf weighs about forty-two pounds and can stand on its own four legs within minutes of being born.
in large female herds, eighty percent of calves survive their first month, compared to only fifty percent in smaller groups.
the territorial call of males sounds like ga-noo, which is likely where the alternative common name gnu originates from.
the wildebeest often grazes alongside plains zebras, which uncover the greener grass that the wildebeest prefers to eat.
a century ago, many more migratory wildebeest populations existed, but today only three large migrating herds remain in the wild.

The first one is the question printed in your book: here is the answer. The other four are extra.

Question 1 of 5★ this one is in your book

What top speed can the wildebeest reach?

Question 2 of 5

With which other herbivore does the wildebeest often form mixed groups?

Question 3 of 5

How long is the gestation period of the wildebeest?

Question 4 of 5

How much does a newborn wildebeest calf weigh?

Question 5 of 5

How is the wildebeest classified by the IUCN today?

Experiment 1

Time one minute and try to imagine traveling fifty miles in an hour: that is the top running speed of a frightened wildebeest.

Experiment 2

Weigh yourself on a scale and compare it to forty-two pounds: that is the weight of a newborn wildebeest calf already able to walk.

Experiment 3

Mark three weeks on a calendar: that is the brief period during which most calves in a wildebeest herd are born.